One of the many conservation efforts undertaken by Disney’s Animal Programs team members is rehabilitating and returning to the wild rescued manatees. With only 5,000 around the state, manatees are considered an endangered species in Florida. During the past few weeks, the team welcomed to The Seas with Nemo & Friends a rescued manatee, released another that they rehabilitated, and received a fantastic report on a manatee that the team returned to the wild a year ago.

This week, the team welcomed to The Seas rescued manatee, Jasper, who weighs 632 pounds and is 6-foot-8-inches long. The team expects Jasper to be released back into the wild in about a year, after he has gained weight and received medical care for cold stress. Guests can see Jasper (right in above photo) and resident manatee, Lou, when they visit Epcot.
Last month, Animal Programs team members returned to its natural habitat in Brevard County another rescued manatee, Kringle. In the photo, the team is fitting Kringle with a satellite tracking belt to follow his movements. During his 14-month rehabilitation at The Seas, Kringle received treatment and therapy and weighed more than 800 pounds when he was released.

Animal Programs team members released another manatee, Bock, last year after the mammal, which had been rescued as a calf, spent six years undergoing care at The Seas. On February 27, his satellite tracking belt was removed after being used to track his movements during his first year after release. The team reports that Bock looks fantastic and has done extremely well readapting to living in the wild in the St. John’s River area.

4 Comments

KELLY from CO on March 8th, 2010 at 11:36 am

I got the chance to bottle feed him when I was working at Sea World during the Summer of 2002 😀 so I feel that I have a special bond with him 😀

2

Geren from CA on March 8th, 2010 at 1:30 pm

As a passionate manatee supporter myself, I applaud your ongoing efforts to rehabilitate manatees and toward supporting the manatee population at large. From my perspective, this endeavor embodies one of the goals of the original EPCOT Center, which has been missing in recent years. Your efforts give me hope for my passions of manatee support and EPCOT revitalization. Thank You.

3

Jennifer on March 9th, 2010 at 7:40 am

Great news! I love the conservation efforts you all are putting in. Makes it more special to me to see all the “lil” guys when we come to visit!

4

Suzanne from IL on March 11th, 2010 at 5:12 pm

This is wonderful news and I applaud Disney on the continued effort regarding the Manatees. If only Florida’s lawmakers were on the same page regarding their survival. Thankfully there a programs like those at Disney and with Save the Manatee Club! I look forward to meeting Jasper on my next visit and I’m glad to hear that Kringle is safely back in the wild!

Featured Video

Comment Policy

Thanks for visiting the Disney Parks Blog. We welcome your comments. Please understand that this is a moderated blog. Blog comments will be reviewed prior to posting. As a result, there will be a delay in the posting of comments. Not all comments will be posted. Comments may also be removed after they are posted.